


He Will Tear Your City Down

by orphan_account



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Deceit Sanders, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders is a Sweetheart, Brainwashing, Castles, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders Being an Idiot, Deceit and Remus are brothers, Emotional Manipulation, Everyone Needs A Hug, Fantasy, Hurt Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I forgot about Logan give me a sec, I'm Sorry, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, M/M, Mind Manipulation, Princes & Princesses, but only kind of, just princes tho, logan will come later i promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2020-06-24 21:57:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19732576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: When Roman heard of Deceits plan to overthrow his kingdom he was furious. He went to face the beast head on, but ends up stumbling into Prince Virgil, Deceit's lover. The more time they spend together the more Roman realizes Virgil didn't choose to be with Deceit. He tries to convince him to escape with him, but Deceit has something else in mind for them.





	1. Chapter 1

Roman started down the path to the dark kingdom's castle. There was a raging storm over the kingdom as he approached, but the thought of what he had to do was what scared him the most.  
He had always considered himself a brave prince, having defeated countless foes including the fearsome dragon witch, a beast so foul, so cruel, all who faced her were cursed and eaten before they could draw their sword. This, however, was a different kind of threat.  
Rather than a towering beast that was not afraid to kill, he would be facing monsters with human faces that would do everything to convince him he's not in his right mind. The games they had been known to play had made the strongest warriors afraid to sleep at night.  
As he approached the raven black castle he saw the dark prince in the highest window. He was known in every kingdom to be the most powerful but unstable individual anyone in any kingdom had seen. A beautiful but dangerous beast, Roman knew if he was to stop what The Dark Sides has planned, he'd have to get Prince Virgil out of the way, no matter what it took. The freezing wind blew through his chestnut hair.  
He knew it was time. He snuck in the castle through the bottom window, making sure every move he made was absolutely silent, but before he could take a step he heard a quiet voice behind him. 

"If it isn't Prince Roman, fabled hero and heir to the Sanders throne, what would you possibly be doing here? I definitely don't expect you are here attempting to stop our plans," The voice said, seemingly circling Roman. 

"Show yourself fiend!" Roman shouted, drawing his sword. 

"I would hardly call myself a fiend, I would never do anything to harm another. You however? Coming into the home of an innocent family without so much as a knock? You have to understand how terrified I was, especially with my sick lover defenseless in his room all alone, terrified that something may happen to him. As a man of nobility certainly you should be able to comprehend how rude it is to enter a house without so much as an invitation." The man said, stepping out of the shadows. Across half his face were shining green scales. He had one yellow eye that resembled the eye of a snake. Roman recognized the man as Deceit, King of the Dark Kingdom, the most tyrannical ruler any of the kingdoms had ever seen. 

"Don't pretend to be innocent villain! You, sir are the most cruel being in the land! You have brought your kingdom to ruins to feed your own selfish desires!" Roman shouted, bringing his sword closer to the man. 

"Brilliant idea Prince Roman, violence always brings peace. Oh, and of course my sleeping prince won't be at all angry that you destroyed the only thing that has ever shown him affection. Go right ahead, cut off the beasts head, just don't forget about the two that take its place." With that, Deceit disappeared, leaving Roman contemplating how he would complete his quest.  
-  
Deceit was furious, how dare this overconfident hero come and attempt to threaten everything he had built. Over the years he had successfully took over a kingdom, kidnapped its prince and convince everyone that it had been that way in the first place. He turned the quiet townsfolk into loyal servants, and the prince into his own personal puppet. He would not let some arrogant boy stop his conquest. He had the most powerful weapon in his grasp and he had convinced him that not only did he care, but that he loved him.  
If you asked Deceit he would say it was true, he loved how easily the prince submitted to him, how he would do anything to please him including kill and he didn't care how cruel Deceit was, because he's the only one who would love him. He was a perfect weapon and lover in Deceits eyes. Not only was he malleable now, it took very little effort to wipe his old memories. Everyone else in the kingdom had a reason to fight back, they had a family, friends and in most cases lovers, but not Virgil. Besides his royal advisor Patton, Virgil didn't seem to have anyone to care for. His parents were murdered at the age of ten, unbeknownst to them by Deceit himself, who made it look like they abandoned the kingdom. His brothers all left by the age of fifteen because of the fear they had of Virgil's powers, and every friend or loved he had left him after getting what they wanted out of him. All Deceit had to do was bend his mind to think they had fallen in love and erase Patton, that was all it took to make Virgil the perfect pet. With Deceit's persuasion, Remus's fear and Virgil's power, not only could no one remember to fight against him, everyone would be too afraid to. He approached the tall black door of the tower covered in vines with vibrant purple roses, the perfect chamber for his sleeping prince. He pushed away the thorny vines and opened the door. There he saw his beautiful prince, sleeping the in his torn purple and black undershirt and pants. Deceit didn't feel the need to provide him with much, seeing as the only time Virgil got to leave was when Deceit wanted to show him off to the bordering kingdoms. More often than not Deceit did not allow him clothes at all, but today he was allowed a reward for his good behavior. Deceit released Virgil from his sleeping spell and sad on the bed next to him.

"Good morning love, I hope you slept well. What were you dreaming about?" Deceit asked condescendingly. 

"I-I, I, um, I dreamt of you s-sir," Virgil said shyly, not wanting to make any mistakes in front of Deceit. 

"Remember you can't lie to me Virgil, I can always tell, mind telling me what you were really dreaming of my love, I promise I won't be too hard on you," Deceit said with a smile.

"I-I was t-thinking about my family," Virgil whispered, knowing he would anger Deceit. Immediately he felt him pull him closer.  
"What have I told you love? They left you, they don't want you, I'm the only one who loves you, there's no reason to think about anyone else, it'll just hurt you more," Deceit said in a calming voice, something Virgil did not expect but was none the less glad.

"I know, I'm sorry I'll try harder next time," Virgil said, a worry still in his voice.

"Good boy, I'm sorry to have to wake you, but we have an unwelcome guest, and I think he may be trying to steal you away from me. I can't let this happen pet, I need you, I can't imagine what would happen if you weren't here with me, I'd probably die. Virgil, if he comes here, please don't be afraid to fight back, if not for you, for me, I love you and I need you. You need me too, I know you do, you can't leave, please just be safe," Deceit cried. Although his tears were false, Virgil would do anything to make them stop. He would not be taken away from his master, he needed him, and he loved him more than anything. As Deceit left, he grew more thorny roses on the door. He would not let this man take away everything he worked for, especially his beloved pet.  
-  
Roman wandered the castle trying to find his way around. The building was as chaotic as the people it held. After what felt like hours of searching, he stumbled upon a door with thorny purple roses covering it. He pulled out his sword to slash the thorns holding the door. He swung his sword only to find it did nothing. He tried again, this time going vine by vine but to no avail, it seemed to go through without cutting them. Roman decided to try moving the roses himself. He cautiously moved his hand towards the door. When he pushed the roses aside he found the thorns did not cut. It was almost as if they were an illusion purely to keep them from being moved. Roman was able to find the handle and slowly crept into the room, trying to be as silent as possible. When he entered he saw the dark prince, sitting on his bed, looking almost scared. Against his better judgment, Roman decided to speak up. 

"Hello, I am Prince Roman, I've come to help your kingdom, I will not hurt you I promise," Roman said, trying to sound calming. 

"Y-you're the one who's trying t-to take me away, r-right? Well, I-I won't let you," Virgil spoke quietly, trying desperately to seem fearsome. 

"No, I would like to talk, if you would allow me," Roman said, trying to win Virgil over.

"Y-you may, but if you try anything, I won't h-hesitate to attack, s-so don't even try to c-capture me, it will not work in your favor," Virgil said, he felt calm around this stranger, which he knew would lead to his ultimate downfall if he was not careful. He had always been taught he could only trust Deceit and Remus. He knew Deceit would not lie to him, but perhaps Deceit had not yet met this man. If they hadn't met Deceit would not be able to judge his character. Virgil decided to proceed with caution, he thought it would not be harmful to hear Roman out, as long as he kept his guard up.

"How did you come to love Deceit? I can understand how he could fall in love with a beautiful prince like you, but how did he woo you to be his prince?" Roman inquired. 

"I-I think I met him in town, he handed me a rose and told me how he thought I was the most radiant man he had every met. I thanked him, then he asked me to be his spouse, and I accepted," Virgil said, the more he went on the more unsure he sounded.

"Just like that? How would you know he would be a worthy husband?" Roman asked, he started wondering if even Virgil knew the truth.

"I guess I just knew, he didn't seem to want to leave like everyone else before him had, and he was handsome. No one like him even dared to talk to me that I can remember, especially when the learned about the magic I help. Deceit seemed to love that about me the most. It was so odd, the thing that turned my family away from me was the thing Deceit loved." Virgil answered.

"Virgil do you remember anything before Deceit? You had mentioned a family, was there anyone else?" Roman asked. When Roman started to think about it, he could not remember anything before Deceits rule. The kingdom seemingly did not exist. He has never seen anything about it in the books he has read. No one ever spoke of anything but Deceit's rule. The more Roman thought about it the more it confused him.

"No. Deceit said there was no one else in the castle when he came," Virgil said, for once sounding absolutely confident.

"Despite what Deceit said, is there anyone in the back of your mind that sticks out?"

"Just a man, he had brown hair and glasses. I remember him smiling while taking me to see the h-horses... but i'm sure i'm just making him up though. Deceit said that when I get lonely I often create people to pretend like someone cares even when no one does. No one ever cared until Deceit,"

"Why do you hold everything Deceit says in such a high regard? Don't you ever wonder if he could be using you?"

"He w-wouldn't... H-he's the only one who cares. He doesn't even have to, he shouldn't have to deal with me, he always says I'm not worth it and I'm lucky to have him. He loves me, I know I don't deserve it but he keeps me all the same, I should be doing everything I can to please him and believe what he says, he has no reason to lie," Roman realized Virgil was trying to convince himself of this more than he was Roman. 

"Virgil, I may not know you, but that is not love. You don't have to earn love, someone who loves you should accept you no matter who you are," Roman was trying to think of a way to prove his point to Virgil as he was obviously still not convinced. "What if we make a deal, if we can find this man in your mind and get him to tell us about your past you hear me out. If it turns out he simply doesn't exist, I will let you and Deceit do whatever you please with me. Do we have a deal?" 

"So if we don't find him you'll listen to what Deceit has to say?" 

"If that is what you wish," 

"Okay, I-I'll do it," 

Roman was surprised at how little of a fight Virgil put up, still he was overjoyed. He had realized this man who he once thought of as an enemy seeking to hurt his people might have been the most hurt of all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil and Roman find someone from Virgil's past while Deceit develops a plan.

Deceit was beyond angry. He had told Virgil to stay in his room, yet he went off with a prince who he had specifically been told was dangerous. Deceit knew he had to stop this prince, he could cause his entire plan to an end. However, Deceit was never one to look over an opportunity. His plan was always to gain control of Roman, if he could make Virgil feel it was his fault, well that would be a plus. Before it would work he would have to tie up one loose end. A particularly irritating loose end that could bring the light back to Virgil. That loose end went by the name of Patton.  
-  
Virgil tried to convince himself that he was okay with his current situation, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't on the verge of a panic attack, and if he has learned one thing in his time with Deceit, it was he shouldn't lie to someone he cared about. It would also be a lie if he said he didn't care about Roman, as much as he hated himself for it.  
Roman was Deceit's enemy, and so he should be Virgil's enemy as well. Virgil tried to make him self feel better by convincing himself that the only reason they are enemy's is that they don't know each other. Virgil was certain that he could convince Roman just how good Deceit was. Once Roman realizes that nothing is wrong with him, he could show him how kind Deceit has been to him so he'd want to stay forever with them. No, that wasn't right, he didn't need anyone else, he just needed Deceit. He knew that, still, it would hurt to make Roman less hostile, maybe he could serve in Deceit's army, or help improve relations, anything that made what Virgil was doing right now okay. It seemed as soon as the doubt crept in, Roman was there to banish it from his mind.  
"Virgil, are you okay? Your breathing was becoming unsteady." Roman's concern seemed real.  
"J-just allergies," Virgil said, trying to brush it off and shift conversation. "I've never been in the dungeon, I d-didn't realize how dusty it was,"  
"Yes it does not seem like many come here, strange for a kingdom of this size to have a low crime rate," Roman said, scanning his surroundings.  
"W-well everyone seems to love Deceit, he is a very kind ruler and I can't think of a reason anyone would want to do anything against his wishes," Virgil seemed very confident in this.  
"I wouldn't call what the people have for your king love, it seems like they just can't find the will to stand against him, they're not happy, just compliant,"  
"You really need to meet him Roman, he's so much different than the man you perceive him as,"  
After that, neither of them said anything, they walked for what felt like hours without seeing or hearing anything, and neither of them knew what to say.  
Virgil was the first to notice the man in the last cell, he was a skinny man with brown hair and matching eyes. He wore a blue suit that was ripped beyond compare, and so dirty one could see it as brown. He wore cracked glasses and looked much more cheerful than a man in his position should, he was so skinny that if it weren't for the warm smile on his face Virgil may have mistook him for a corpse. Still, something about this man was familiar to Virgil. He decided not to bring it up, perhaps he was a rouge servant.  
"Oh, there must be a mistake, I already got my meal today. I mean, I'd take another but I wouldn't want ya in trouble with the ole' boss," the man laughed softly. Despite the pain in his eyes he seemed so warm and welcoming. Even safe.  
"W-we aren't here for the king, we came to ask if you know anything about the kingdom b-before Deceit," Virgil stepped towards the cell carefully.  
"Wait a minute, Virgil, kiddo, is that you? Do you remember me? They said you hate me. That you wanted me down here. I knew there must be something wrong since you would never hurt your good pal Patton, would you?" The man, "Patton" seemed to recognize him, and not only that, his eyes seemed so full of hope when he came into view, like he had seen the sun for the first time in ages.  
"It's me, Patton. You remember me don't you?" he seemed so honest but Virgil would remember if he was close to this man, wouldn't he?.  
"Who are you? How do you know me?"  
"I was your friend, don't you remember? Or has Deceit... No! You wouldn't have forgotten me, you couldn't have, right Virge?"  
"Wh-who are you? How do you know me, a-and how do I know you?" 

"Virgil, kiddo, it's me, it's Patton, don't you remember?"

"No, s-should I?"

"Kiddo, I was there all your life. He made you forget didn't he? That slippery snake! Don't worry kiddo, i'll make sure he can never hurt you again! Me and... I'm sorry I never got your name,"  
"Roman, Prince Roman" 

"Me and Roman will make sure you never have to put up with Deceit or any of his tricks again," Patton said. 

"Stop! Please... I know you guys think he's this awful person but he's all I have, and h-he loves me, I know he does. Please... just give him a chance, I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding,"  
"No matter what you think Virgil we can't learn anything if we can't find him. I have shown you my proof that he isn't what he seems, now we need yours,"

-

"We have a problem," 

"You mean you have a problem, is this about Virgil not wanting to fu-" 

"We have a problem, someone has come to take my storm cloud away, someone you know very well. I need you to get to him, and get him to me, and while your at it go ahead and scare Virgil and Patton, it seems like they've forgotten their places," 

"Anything for you Deceit. Now, where is my brother,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long and was so short! i've been super busy and I thought that was a good cap. I'm already writing the next chapter and it is for the most part planned out so that should be up soon, i'll try to get that one to 3000 but no promises. I hope you enjoyed please leave comment and kudos they really make me happy!
> 
> Update 2: I am so sorry I lost motivation while writing chapter 3, but that's really not a valid excuse. I'm doing a little editing because when I wrote this apparently I was illiterate, but once I fix it up I will post chapter 3. I'm so sorry for the wait.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mostly fluff but we get a bit of angst too. There are minor references to physical abuse, so please read at your own risk!

As much as he tried to convince himself he wasn't, Roman was jealous of how much Virgil seemed to enjoy Patton's company. Even so he couldn't help but feel relieved. Virgil was starting to remember. The longer Patton was around the more Virgil's past came to him. Although this seemed great in the eyes of Roman and Patton, it raised so many questions for Virgil. The more he remembered the more confused he was. Nothing lined up, his memories with Patton and what Deceit had told him conflicted. He may have just remembered dreams, or perhaps he was missing key moments that would put the puzzle together. Deceit could explain all of this. There was nothing wrong.  
"Hey kiddo, are you okay? You've been awfully quiet" Patton asked.  
"Y-yeah I'm fine," Virgil was not convincing in the slightest, but Patton understood he had to tread lightly. If he dug too deep he might end up hurting Virgil. 

"That makes one of us! We've been wandering for hours! Surely one of you must have an idea of where Deceit could be," Roman said, exasperated. 

"Maybe we should take a break. We all seem tired, and I for one have not walked this much since I got, well, ya know. I would love to get to know you better Roman and hear what's been happening with Virge. So how about we all just sit down and have ourselves a good ole' fashioned feelings circle," Patton said, still smiling wide.

"A feelings circle? Like "I'm feeling a little stressed right now because I'm walking around a maze of a Castle with no clear exit and no people in sight, with two people who have apparently been here for years but still have no idea where we're going somehow, and may never be able to see my people, or even the sun, again. Is that what you want Parson," Roman explained, exasperated.

"It's Patton actually, but you know it's okay we'll get there. Maybe a little less angry, otherwise great job kiddo!" Patton exclaimed. "Virgil what about you?"  
Virgil was shaking. He didn't want to tell them about the emotional turmoil he was dealing with, so he decided to lie. 

"I'm j-just h-happy to be h-he-here," he smiled awkwardly. Unfortunately he had never been the best liar. His stutter always got worse, he shakes more and he couldn't hide his emotions no matter what he tried to do. Patton had noticed and finally decided he needed to do something to comfort his boy.

"Hey kiddo listen to me," he reached to grab Virgils hand but it was taken back as soon as Virgil realized what was happening. "Look, I know you're a little confused, but things will work out. I know I'm not Deceits biggest fan, but you don't have to try to deceive us," they all sat in silence for a few seconds. "You get it, cause his name... well anyway, we understand you're confused and you don't know what's right and wrong but we'll get it sorted out. Maybe it's all a big misunderstanding, we won't know till we find him. Until then, just take some deep breaths kiddo, everything's going to be alright," 

Virgil did just that. Although he was still anxious, he had to admit it helped. He kept going until finally he was breathing normal, or at least as normal as he could be. 

"Well I guess that means it my turn. I'm a little spooked to be out of that cell. My guard buddies are probably gonna be a little upset that I'm not there, but it's worth it to be able to see my favorite kiddo again. Hopefully soon he'll remember me, but even if he doesn't, it'll be okay because we can make new memories even better than the old. We just need to look forward to the future," Patton was smiling wide. Neither Roman nor Virgil wanted to admit it, but Patton's speech really helped them be optimistic about what was to come. Sure Virgil was still worried about what Deceit will say when he finds him, and Roman was still hell bent on Deceits demise, they both decided for now it would be best to just wait and see what was to come.  
After that they all walked for awhile. They all wanted to say something to break the silence, but none of them sure what to say. Virgil was still at a loss for words, he knew what everyone thought and he knew he disagreed, he was glad to know Patton was willing to believe in Deceit, but he knew he hadn't changed his tone completely. He was certain Roman wouldn't change, not until there was concrete evidence proving Deceits innocence, and even then it way be a tossup.  
Roman, for what felt like the first time in his life, didn't want to speak. He certainly didn't want there to be there in silence but he didn't want to upset anyone. Patton had been trapped in a dungeon for years with no one to interact with but the guards bringing him food. As happy as Patton seemed Roman knew there was more to it, there was some hidden hurt beneath the surface. Virgil, well, Roman was sure if he made a wrong move, he'd loose Virgils trust completely, and even though Roman acted as though Virgil was just was just another damsel, he cared about him deeply. Sure he was a nervous buzzkill but there was obviously more to it than that. There had to be more to his relationship to Deceit than Virgil was willing to admit to them, maybe even to himself. He had a terrible stutter, he shook constantly and he flinched when they got to close to him. None of that seemed healthy. Roman was sure now more than ever that he would slay this beast, he just had to find a way to do it that wouldn't hurt Virgil.  
Patton didn't know what to say either. Roman seemed like a nice fella but he was a little standoffish and didn't seem too happy. Virgil definitely wasn't at his best. He'd always been a nervous kid but never this bad. Patton wanted to give him a hug and tell him everything would be okay like he used to, but he knew that would only make things worse. They were all in their train of thought when finally, to everyone's surprise, Virgil spoke up.

"Y-you said you knew me bef-fore Deceit, what... what was I like," Virgil asked. 

Patton was thrilled by the question, if not a little surprised. He took a second to think about the best times, getting lost in his own thoughts before finally snapping out of it.

“Well, you were always a little bit shy, but you cared about everyone from the bottom of your heart. You always like playing with the servants around the castle, but I was your favorite,” Patton said that like it was an honor. “When you were growing up you would always follow me around and copy what I did, right up until the age you had royal responsibilities, although, I think that might of been your old man just getting jealous that you were spending so much time with me. You always said you wanted to be like me when you grew up, I tried to tell you you had more important things to do but you would just say back to me that everyone was important. When you got into your teen years you started having to host balls with your parents and siblings, but you’d always find a corner to hide in or a way to sneak out. Your father would get mad but there was always a smile left on his face. I think he was proud that he had such a smart kid,”

Virgil stood in silence. None of that lined up with anything he knew. Maybe Patton was crazy, but he seemed so sure of what he was saying. Virgil didn’t have much time to think before they were stopped by a figure in a dark smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being gone so long! I really lost where I was going with this story, but I have a new plan for it and I hope you’ll enjoy. Sorry for the short chapter but the next one is going to be heavy so hold on kiddos.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, please leave suggestions for what you want to happen next! I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible, thank you again!


End file.
